A large number of soldiers swarmed into the Daimyo's residence, and the servants and maids naturally dared not stop them.
The general led his men straight into the Daimyo's bedchamber, ignoring the kneeling crowd as his gaze locked onto Princess Kushinada, who was weeping beside the Daimyo's corpse.
"Witch!"
He immediately drew his weapon, the cold gleam of the blade causing the surrounding servants to scatter in fear.
Yet Princess Kushinada remained clutching the Daimyo, sobbing uncontrollably, completely unaware of the approaching general behind her.
At that moment, someone couldn't help but step forward and say, "The Daimyo's body is still warm, General, isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
The general glared fiercely. "Insolent! Lord Minamoto was killed by this witch!"
The one who spoke shrank back in fear at the general's murderous gaze, and the other servants huddled together, not daring to utter another word.
The general strode forward, grabbed Princess Kushinada by the collar, and yanked her up.
"You—"
But when he saw her tear-streaked, sorrowful face up close, he momentarily hesitated.
He had never looked at her so closely before.
Could there really be such a beautiful woman in this world?
No wonder Lord Minamoto…
"General Oda!"
A stern voice suddenly rang out from behind, snapping him back to reality.
The speaker was the Daimyo's official wife, a dignified noblewoman standing at the front of the soldiers.
Oda Isamu shook his head and once again filled his face with killing intent.
"Witch, you bewitched our lord and brought disaster upon the nation. I will send you to hell!"
He raised his blade high, ready to strike Princess Kushinada down right there before the Daimyo's corpse.
However, just as the crowd thought she was about to be cut down, a dull thud sounded.
Oda Isamu was suddenly sent flying backward.
A figure had appeared in front of Princess Kushinada as if from nowhere, gripping the very blade Oda Isamu had wielded.
Her expression was fierce as she stared down the soldiers.
It was none other than Anko.
Oda Isamu clutched his aching chest as he got up, his expression dark as he glared at Anko.
"Who are you?!"
Anko had only arrived at the Daimyo's residence today, so many people didn't recognize her.
But her movements just now clearly marked her as a ninja.
However, this was the Daimyo's residence.
In Oda Isamu's eyes, no ninja had the right to act so brazenly here.
Anko replied coldly, "Mitarashi Anko. Do you know of the Crowns Guard?"
The moment those words left her mouth, the crowd erupted in shock.
"The Seven Crowned Guardians!"
"She's one of the Seven?"
"A ninja from Konoha!"
Murmurs spread among the people, and the soldiers hesitated, no longer daring to act recklessly.
Oda Isamu frowned deeply. "A subordinate of the Hokage?!"
At that moment, Guy stood in the back of the crowd, watching Anko invoke the name of the Hokage.
His brows furrowed slightly.
To him, Anko's actions had already surpassed foolishness.
But the Daimyo's official wife spoke up sharply, her tone unyielding.
"Even if the Hokage himself were here, he would have no right to interfere! This witch is a threat to the nation, a criminal who must be punished. I advise you, Lady Anko, to step aside!"
Anko almost scoffed in response—wasn't the country's downfall due to the Daimyo's own incompetence?
But after a moment's thought, she knew saying such things would only drag the Hokage into unnecessary trouble.
She also understood that if Makoto found out what she was doing now, she would not only be reprimanded…
It might be far worse than just that.
But no matter how clearly she understood the consequences, Anko could never just stand by and let these people kill Princess Kushinada.
"Anko..." Princess Kushinada, still sitting weakly on the ground, spoke in a soft voice.
Anko gritted her teeth and grabbed Princess Kushinada's arm.
Seeing this, Oda Isamu roared in fury, "Stop her!"
The soldiers all drew their weapons, yet none dared to make the first move.
The Daimyo's wife, noticing a group of people standing at the entrance, realized they were the Twelve Guardian Ninja.
She immediately snapped at them, "What are you standing there for?! Arrest her at once!"
However, not a single one of the Guardian Ninja moved.
They only took orders from the Daimyo himself.
And now that Anko had openly declared herself a Crowned Guardian, they would have to be insane to stand in her way—that would be the same as going against the Hokage himself.
With a new Daimyo soon to take the throne, the current Guardian Ninja were likely to be replaced.
Without the Daimyo's protection and having made an enemy of the Hokage, how could they survive in the Land of Fire?
Besides, as those responsible for the Daimyo's security, they had been stationed around the palace at the time of his death.
They could confirm that the Daimyo had died suddenly, without any external cause.
The only possible explanation was that his body had simply failed him.
Meanwhile, Seirengoku quietly asked Guy, "What's going on?"
He had assumed that Anko was on some secret mission from Lord Hokage.
If that were the case, he should be assisting her.
Guy remained silent, his gaze fixed on Anko.
If he didn't stop her now, this situation would surely bring great trouble to Lord Hokage.
But if he did stop her now, how was he supposed to explain it to all these people?
The Seven Crowned Guardians held a position of high status in Konoha and were the Hokage's closest confidants.
Mishandling this could turn the Hokage into a laughingstock.
Anko grabbed Princess Kushinada's arm and began walking toward the door, while Princess Kushinada still gazed longingly at the now lifeless Daimyo on the bed.
Oda Isamu stood to the side, his expression dark, yet he remained motionless.
He knew all too well how terrifying ninja could be, and this girl was one of the Seven Crowned Guardians—one of the strongest among them!
Seeing that their general made no move, the soldiers dared not interfere either, instead instinctively stepping aside to clear a path for Anko.
The Daimyo's wife, both furious and desperate, suddenly grabbed a weapon from a nearby soldier and swung it wildly at Princess Kushinada.
Noticing this, Anko sharply turned her head, and in an instant, a powerful surge of chakra burst forth from her body, sending a gust of wind crashing toward the woman.
Fortunately, Guy appeared before the Daimyo's wife just in time, shielding her from the impact.
Even so, the sheer force of Anko's aura left the woman utterly petrified—her sword slipped from her grasp, and she collapsed to the ground in shock.
Anko glanced at Guy's expression, then swiftly turned away, still gripping Princess Kushinada's arm as she strode out of the chamber.
The Guardian Ninja standing outside merely watched in silence as everything unfolded before them.
Oda Isamu looked down at the Daimyo's wife, who sat dazed on the ground, then at the soldiers who had stepped aside.
His fists clenched in frustration, but ultimately, he had no choice but to loosen them in helpless resignation.
Anko carried Princess Kushinada as she leapt across the rooftops, landing in a secluded, deserted area.
Princess Kushinada hung her head in despair, her face still stained with tears.
"You realize how much trouble you've caused?"
A voice suddenly sounded from behind.
Anko quickly turned to see that Guy had followed them.
Instinctively, she stepped in front of Princess Kushinada and said, "You didn't stop me either."
Guy simply stared at her, his gaze unwavering.
Anko added, "I know exactly what I've done. This has nothing to do with you. I will take full responsibility for everything."
But Guy replied, "I can't let you do anything else that would harm Lord Hokage. Since this woman is part of Orochimaru, it is Konoha's duty to take custody of this criminal. All we have to do is publicly reveal her true identity, and everything will be justified and handled properly."
Anko frowned. "You want to take her back to Konoha?"
Guy corrected her, "We will take her back to Konoha together. Anko, you'd better stop making foolish decisions."
In response, Anko simply pulled Princess Kushinada closer behind her, making her stance clear.
At that moment, Princess Kushinada suddenly spoke up. "Anko..."
"Don't worry. I won't let them take you back to Konoha."
Guy finally lost his patience and shouted, "Anko! She is a criminal of Konoha! Harboring her is an act of treason!"
But Anko stood firm, unshaken. "If she is Lord Orochimaru, then she is everything to me!"
"And what about Lord Hokage?!"
"..."
Anko was momentarily at a loss for words.
Deep down, she knew the truth. Makoto had always treated her well.
Despite her reckless behavior and the absurd things she had done in the past, even after Orochimaru became a reviled criminal, she—his disciple—had suffered no consequences.
On the contrary, Makoto had given her an esteemed position, granted her authority, and tolerated her defiance time and time again…
She was silent for a moment before saying, "Makoto has too much—he doesn't need a friend like me. But I can't live without Lord Orochimaru."
Guy felt that Anko had already fallen too deep, just like the Daimyo had.
He didn't want to waste any more words and decided to use force to take them both back.
However, at that moment, Princess Kushinada, who was behind Anko, suddenly glanced at him.
Just that single glance made Guy momentarily dazed.
He had never thought of this woman as particularly captivating before, but now, for some reason, he was completely enthralled by her beauty—so breathtaking and otherworldly that it seemed as if she was the only person left in existence…
"Guy!"
By the time Guy snapped out of it, he found himself standing in front of Seirengoku, who had a hand on his shoulder.
Seirengoku said, "You were caught in a genjutsu!"
A genjutsu…
Guy recalled the woman's gaze and felt a cold sweat run down his back.
Orochimaru… Yes, she was Orochimaru!
How could she possibly be just an ordinary woman?
He had been far too careless!
By now, Anko and Princess Kushinada were nowhere to be seen.
Guy immediately entered Sage Mode to use his sensory abilities, but the two had already vanished without a trace.
He had no idea how long he had been under the genjutsu.
Seirengoku asked again, "What happened? Where is Miss Anko?"
"…I need to return to the village immediately. There's something important I must report to Lord Hokage," Guy said solemnly.
Seirengoku simply nodded in response.
Guy thought of something and said to Seirengoku, "Shouldn't you be heading back to the village soon as well?"
"The Daimyo has passed, and the new lord will ascend quickly. Until he appoints new Guardian Shinobi, it's our duty to protect him," Seirengoku replied.
Guy let out a long breath and gazed at the distant sky, his thoughts complicated.
With something like this happening, he had no idea how Lord Hokage would handle it.
Would he immediately label Anko as a rogue ninja?
Although they weren't from the same generation, they had always been part of the same circle of friends and shared a deep bond.
Guy didn't want to see things come to that.
He also wondered how everyone else would react once they found out.
Anko…
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